On Eid eve, Kashmir police on mission impossible

When the entire Kashmir valley was busy preparing for Eid on Sunday, the Jammu and Kashmir police were busy on an important mission --- to ensure all the pebbles, rocks, stones and bricks are cleaned up from old city's Eidgah area, where major congregation was scheduled.

When the entire Kashmir valley was busy preparing for Eid on Sunday, the Jammu and Kashmir police were busy on an important mission --- to ensure all the pebbles, rocks, stones and bricks are cleaned up from old city's Eidgah area, where major congregation was scheduled.

Police sources said the police officers received inputs from the ground about possible attacks on security forces from protesters in the wake of the police clampdown on separatists, who were all placed under house arrest. Intelligence inputs on Sunday indicated anger brewing among pro-separatist supporters in the old city.

To maintain a secretive approach on the inputs, the Safakadal police station roped in the Roads and Buildings department engineers to hire labourers to hide stones, pebbles, rocks and bricks at the construction sites on the stretch near Eidgah, which has a water body on side.

The engineering department had to hire services in the evening to hide hard stones and rocks, which protesters could potentially use as missiles during demonstration, beneath sand or shift to a safe location.

Moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwiaz Umar Farooq was scheduled to led prayers at Eidgah along with his supporters and other leaders.

The police measure, however, failed to contain protesters from attacking security forces. Protesters used wood to set afire a police vehicle immediately after Monday's Eid prayers and hurled rocks at security forces, injuring three cops.

The entire security grid in the valley was on pins for possible violence and angry protests from supporters of separatists who demand secession from India.